Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

It looks like Jon Rimmerman is piling on Comte Flaneurs call on 2015 Bordeaux.

Shameless piggybacking no doubt!

Maybe the only question will end up being - is it GREAT or THE GREATEST?

Below is JR's edited missive from today

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Will 2015 be the single most hyped vintage in the history of European viticulture (ok, at least since the advent of social media)?

I believe we are headed in that direction.

I have already gone on record with the opinion that 2015 will be the most traded vintage in the history of Bordeaux - more than 2000, 2003, 2005, 2009 or 2010 (the en-premier stampede will be like the Beatles at Shea Stadium). At this VERY early stage, the style of the year seems closest to 2010 with exaggerated skin tannin (and a high extractive rate) but potential alcohol that is somehow slightly lower than in 2009/2010 despite a very ripe year. That is not a blanket assessment but it seems to be the case on the Left Bank where certain parcels of top-end Cabernet Sauvignon only reached 13.0-13.2% despite outstanding ripeness (versus well over 14.0% in 2010). Merlot seems to be higher in alcohol with Right Bank wines that could end up as another comparison to...you guessed it: 1947, 1959. It is far too early to make any accurate assessment (and any attempt to do so would be foolhardy) as the wine is not even wine yet, but the above thoughts are merely my observation based on grapes, bubbling must and discussion with winemakers I trust (who tend to be very accurate in their characterization of vintages). I tend to think this will end up as something of a 1989, 2003, 2010 mix (no one in Bordeaux wants to use 2003 as a comparison, they would rather use a ripe year such as 2009 in a "1989, 2009, 2010" comparative mix, but we will see).

The other factor that should insure the 2015's are the most sought after in history?

Four ho-hum years in a row (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014) and, of most importance...the exchange rate.

Most exchange models have the Euro sliding even further toward parity or under. If the Euro is worth less than the dollar by the start of en-premier in the spring, look out. The chase to acquire will be downright, well, insane...that is, if the chateau owners keep pricing in check (which I doubt after four lackluster years). More on all of this as it unfolds over the next half year.

2014 ho-hum? Thought not. Anyway, happy with my stash of 00,05,09,10 and the occasional 03. So no need for yet another vintage to buy expensive and cellar too long. I may sniff at some 14's instead. Should be a classy vintage and, I hope, soon to be overshadowed by hypes.

Rimmerman has seen the light and joined the flock, but I agree with Roel, the smart money will pile into the 2014s to drink more than in invest, because the 2014s will be forgotten even more than the 2001s were overlooked. So bite your tongues and bide your time with the 2014s and let the bargains come knocking on your door as the Fed raises interest rates.

I was at a Rhone tasting tonight attended by such luminaries as Rene Rostsing and JLL and other one hit wonders like Stephen Spurrier of Paris 1976 fame. The 2014 Rhones which we tasted are good but according the producers the 2015s blow the bloody doors off.

Rhone fans have been better off back filling 09's and 10's still in the retail system the last few years rather than messing around with current releases.

And although controversial, the southern 07's have their fans. Been nibbling on scattered CNDPs there, personally.

Ok, i'm betting 5$ that the Médoc first Growth Will be 1500 $ à bottle as "futures".

It will be very entertaining.

Nic

I think by the time the PC mess has unraveled people will realize that there are more risk to futures than conventionally regarded, and that will hurt the honest retailers, and estates. That's why some of them are so pissed about what has happened. It's their good name that has been sold down the river. Some of that will eventually infect the legit bdx futures market.

At the Rhone tasting my favourite wines were the Ogier Cote Roties 2011 and 2012 and the 2003 Clos De Papes which was delicious and really surprised me. Yes it tasted like it had been in the greenhouse, but it was really tasty.

More ranting from Rimmerman, who seems to be on a bdx kick.
(Or at least he has some to sell)
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What shall we drink tonight?

The 2010 Montrose I have stashed away?

No way.

Thus the conundrum for Bordeaux buyers.

Somewhere, lost in the paradigm of collecting fine Bordeaux, is the realization that you will actually drink the bottles you've secured...but not for another 15-25 years until they've reached a peak window.

In today's me-me/now-now world, waiting 25 years to enjoy a purchase you've made in 2015 seems like such a 1950's concept (when everything was slower and patience was part of life's expectation - you mailed a note to someone across the country and waited weeks for a response, not seconds for a text or IM to appear). Circa 2015, I doubt (most) consumers have the patience to wait a year before opening new release Bordeaux, let alone 2+ decades.

That's where I come in.

One of my favorite escapades every fall is the fumbling through "marginal" vintages of Bordeaux that are ready to drink now - not in 20 years but this evening and over the next 5-10 years. Let's call this category of Bordeaux "tonight but no hurry". To find such wine, I often look to outlier/forgotten years - the average vintages that most ignore as they are not meant for the long-haul. The taster can typically find a number of gems for current drinking in marginal/average years as the the word "average" does not mean poor, it simply means "typical".

That's certainly fine by me...especially if the marginal finds are found at a lesser tariff

In off vintages, it's best to leave leave satellite districts of Bordeaux to the bottom of the discovery list - why not go for more storied appellations?

The current somm favorites in France (for off vintage/drink tonight bottles) are 2007 and 2004 (and somewhat 2002). Speaking of 2002, the vintage has done little of late to rise above its "worst vintage of the decade" classification - yes, it may be even worse than 2007 due to an original belief that most of the 2002's would age but that has not been the case. With 2002, we are left with many hollow and dry/tannic wines versus the charm of 2007. There was never a false assumption that 2007 would age - there was always little expected of them and that's why they surprise. Are the 2007's truly better than 2002? Maybe not, but it's always better to be an underdog in the eyes of the public than an underachiever of equal worth.

2004?

2004 is somewhere in the middle of 2002 and 2007 - slightly dry/tannic in the mold of 2002 but more fruit and cool/Atlantic tones attached to the tannins (akin to an 1988 meets 1994 hybrid). The best wines are quite good (and drinking very well now) but you have to know where to look.

One place to search for "drink tonight but no hurry" 2004's?

Margaux.

Hey Rimmerman, since you hate 2002 Bdx so much, how about trading them to me for the same wine in 2009 & 2010? 'Course mine are on pre arrival, and you have to take the risk that they will not come in...

Re: '04...everywhere I looked on the left has pleased me majority of the time

We did have an 02 Pichon Lalande a while ago that was pretty good.

I think the description of 'worst vintage of the 2000's' isn't a very good depiction.

The 2000's was a good decade with no wipeouts.

If one said the worst of the 90's or the 70's, then that would be a different story.

"Worst vintage of the 2000s" is both subjective and relative. Of course Rimmerman is a hypemaster and if he's got vintages other than 2002 to sell there's no doubt in my mind that commercial bias would play a role in this pronouncement. Even so, I would tend to agree with him. I've had very few 2002s, in part because of the poor reputation of the vintage and in part because the few I've had have not measured up to other vintages of the 2000s. Because my experience is so limited I would keep an open mind if the opportunity to try some 2002s came around, but I wouldn't be inclined to pay much for them.

With that statement from Rimmerman, is he now JimHow arch-enemy?

Nic

Maybe they are "frenemies"

But is Rimmerman "vicious?"

I would imagine most of us have tasted many more 2002 Bordeaux than he has. I wonder if he would have the same opinion after after tasting Leoville Barton, Leoville Lascases and Mouton 2002?

I'm not sure that's a fair representation either. The best estates have the ability to somewhat transcend the lack of "degree x days" that others don't.

I bought under a case of the 02's on release -- back then it seemed like there was lots of other better vintages for not wildly different money.

How are the 02's drinking now?

Last two 02's I had were Barton and Clos Fourtet. Both easily 90 points. Barton always shines in lesser vintages in my book (just bought a sixpack 11's for a good price) and 02 is no exception. Clos Fourtet was a polished, slightly commercial wine. Quality crowd pleaser. 02 ain't that bad.

I had an 02 Branaire-Ducru not long ago that I thought excellent. Just entering its drinking window, with more depth than I expected. If it's any indication of the vintage LB, we will be (or in Jim's case, "are regularly") chuffed by the 02's resting in our cellars.

2002 alter ego was awesome

Lalande was good but tiiiiight

Actually I have not had a classified or equivalent left bank 2002 that I thought was weak even if many need more time to get to my preferred drinking state. I like '02 left bank more than '99, '04, '06, and '08. The '01s are generally better for current drinking but I think the '02s will be better in the long run. '00 & '05 are IMO decidedly better than '02. '03 and '02 are quite different; I am glad to have a reasonable supply of both vintages.

My experience with '02 right bank is much worse.

I think there is quite a bit of over-generalization when talking about vintages. Lots of variation among communes and among producers in a given vintage.

Regarding 2002, Haut Brion and Mouton are both quite wonderful and much better than these in the 1999 vintage.

Chris Bublitz

Palmer is great in 1999 and 2002, I was pleased by Pichon Comtesse 2002 and Gruaud Larose. In recent tasting of 2012s, this vintage is close to 2011 and totally outshines 2013. Cheval Blanc, Margaux and Mouton are stunning, as is Montrose, Batailley (!), Beausejour Duffau, Rauzan Segla and Pape Clement. VCC was a great disappointment with clearly green flavours of leekand lack of ripeness.

Concerning 2015 vintage, the recent news cancel the early fears of impact of rains in September and October in northern Medoc. I called Ch. Montrose yesterday and they told me that actually the 80 mm or something like that were advantageous for their CS!

2015 vintage is looking better and better for every day!